Fun times…
This is what is known as a Mark On Top (MOT). Not my picture, but I’ve seen this view a few times, including ‘certain’ waters where the boat was completely submerged, but still visible…
And yes, biologists are cray-cray…
A test I was involved in years ago. A biologist is ‘waiting’ for some part of the Blue Whale to get shallow enough for him to harpoon it with a time depth recorder (TDR). This particular whale was between 90-100 feet long. I believe this was taken from the whale spotter’s Cessna near where we were testing.
The TDR was actually stuck on with glue which lasted about 48 hours. If, big if, I remember correctly, one of the tagged whales dove to at least 900 feet to feed.
You have to be nutz to get so close to tag such a creature like that. Hoping like crazy the animal doesn’t take offense to your anti-social distancing maneuvers. Crush you and your boat like an ant …
A hundred and something years ago, American whalermen did indeed get that close.
“The harpoon struck and the line paid out,
but she gave a flourish with her tail,
And the boat capsized and four men were drowned,
and we never caught that whale, brave boys,
and we never caught that whale.
To lose the men, the captain cried,
it grieves my heart full sore,
But of all, to lose a hundred-barrel whale
it begrieves me ten times more brave boys,
it grieves me ten times more…”
The views from flights like that are amazing.
Oh, my, those are wonderful shots!
Thanks Old NFO, very cool.
I was watching the highlights of _Hunt for Red October_ last night. I think that was the first time I really, really understood just how big some submarines are.
Apparently the people in the little boat with the big whale don’t remember that _Moby Dick_ was a documentary. 😉
Perspective is interesting. We are small in the scheme of things…
jrg/Guy- Yep, they be crazy! And more than once they’ve been flipped into the water by a fluke or a tail fin, including once that cost them a $135,000 Sony HD camera!!!
Rev- Never commonplace, that’s for sure! 🙂
Wing- Amazing what you can see from ‘low’ altitude! 😉
LL- You’re welcome!
TXRed- Yep… LOL
Brig- That we are! Sadly, few remember that.
Hey Old NFO;
Cool Pics, Thanks Jim.
Bob- Thanks!
Looking at the image of the sub at periscope depth, I wonder whose it is. The sail seems to be too far aft and the stern planes too stubby for it to be an American SSN. Rooski perhaps?
However, as a sonarman and from the point of view of the other side, I remember well doing excersizes with the surface and airdale navy and every single time, not only did we have to stay in a predefined box, we also had to deploy an auxiliary noise maker. Every. Single. Time.
Also, that was over 40 years ago. Meantime, both the Rooski’s and us got a lot quieter and a lot better. I am certain that our surface fleet has as well. (We are on the same side after all.)
Those are both cool views of something I’d otherwise never see.
Thank you.
Roy- Either a Kilo or a Lada. My crew never had a problem finding y’all, and we routinely went against you with NO noisemakers, but we were a lot more proficient than most crews… LOL
Ed- You’re welcome!
German Type 209, operated by the Egyptian Navy
Murphy’s Rules Of Combat: Navy version
26. Never share a rowboat with someone braver than yourself.
Aesop- True!!! But they were BOTH marine biologists… LOL